Pioneering viable alternatives to fishing

Our community-based aquaculture initiative is providing coastal people with new sources of income, allowing improved access to food and education, while alleviating pressure on fisheries and marine biodiversity.

Traditional small-scale fisheries are fundamental to the livelihoods and food security of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. Yet marine ecosystems and the fisheries they support are facing unprecedented pressures. With 90% of global fish stocks already overfished or fully fished, and soaring demand for seafood, there is a critical need to diversify coastal livelihoods to reduce pressure on marine resources.

In southwest Madagascar, geographic isolation and an arid climate means there are few economic opportunities beyond fishing, and coastal people are highly reliant on the sea for their survival. We are working with these coastal communities and private sector aquaculture businesses to develop viable livelihood activities appropriate to the local environment and culture.

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people trained to farm sea cucumbers and seaweed

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of farm leaders and farmers are women

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earned by the best seaweed farmer last year

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sea cucumbers harvested to date

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Farming the sea

Working with the University of Toliara’s Marine Science Institute (IHSM), local seafood exporter Copefrito and aquaculture company Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT), Blue Ventures is connecting isolated coastal communities with lucrative international markets for seaweed and sea cucumbers, enabling families to develop their own aquaculture businesses.

Our aquaculture specialists have trained over 700 people to become farmers of sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) and red “cottonii” seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii).

Sea cucumbers (known as trepang after processing) are in high demand in Asian markets where they are considered a delicacy, health food and aphrodisiac, while red seaweed is widely used in food and cosmetics industries as a texturing agent.

An established network of business and research partners provides assured access to markets, hatchery technology and supply, and technical expertise to maximise the benefits to communities

Aquaculture partners

Catalysing local entrepreneurship

We are committed to developing models for community-based aquaculture in which farms are fully owned and operated by communities themselves. Our aquaculture team provides materials and technical guidance, and assists with start-up costs.

In partnership with CITE, a Malagasy NGO supporting local socio-economic and entrepreneurial development, we also help to nurture small business development with training programmes that build the technical, financial, managerial and organisational skills needed by fishermen and women to manage their own aquaculture businesses. This support is fundamental to improving revenues and working towards the long-term sustainability of aquaculture businesses in these isolated communities.

Every year new farmers and villages join our aquaculture programme, increasing the number of people benefiting from alternative livelihoods. Over half of the farmers supported by Blue Ventures are women, who often use this new income to help pay for children’s school fees and supplement their family’s diet.

Scaling success

Introducing new innovations in coastal aquaculture is not a simple task, and requires strong technical partnerships and practical experience. The commercial nature of many aquaculture businesses means that results and developments are generally not publicised; experiences of overcoming technical, logistical and financial challenges in production are rarely shared.

Blue Ventures is committed to promoting and sharing best practice in community-based aquaculture, maximising the number of people able to benefit from these livelihood activities. We are working to improve connections between aquaculture initiatives, developing a new Indian Ocean network for practitioners, and sharing our experiences from Madagascar.